Tobacco-wrapper counter.



D. STRASSBR,

TOBACCO WRAPPER COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9. 1912v Patented Jan. 5, 1915 4 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

'ylmph 062M114, Inventor: y zwwmw W M Atty THE NORRIS PE '6:

D. STRASSER. TOBACCO WRAPPER COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1912.

1,123,948, Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fittest: bzzmd/ In ventor:

Atty

D. STRASSER.

TOBACCO WRAPPER COUNTER.

APPLICATION rum) NOV. 9, 1912.

1,123,948. F l L 47 g7: /6O 5- o Attest: w

u! PEI/RS c0 PI/DTO-LITHI'L,WASHINGTON, 0. r

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1 w 52 MZ/WWI Inventor:

D. STRASSEE.

TOBACCO WRAPPER COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1912 1,123,948. Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

. g WW Inventor:

Air},

THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTo-LITHQ, WASHING TON D. c.

DAVID STRASSEB, OF NEW YORK,

N. 1., ASsIGNGR T CIGAR VJRAPPER REGISTER Gi l;-

PANY, INC., OF NEW YQRK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TOBA JCD- NRAPPER COUNTER.

AppTicat-icn filed November 9, 1912.

To aZZ 207mm it may concern Be it known that 1, DAVID Sraassnn, a. citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobaccol Vrapper Counters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for counting and registering the number of cigar wrappers estimated by the operator to be obtainable from tobacco leaves examined by "him and registering the total number so exam-- ined, and its novelty consists in the construction and adaptation of the parts, as will be more fully hereinafter pointed out.

it is customary atthe present time for an operator to inspect the tobacco leaves from which cigar wrappers are to be cut and to ascertain from such examination .vhether or not a leaf is capable of producing one, two. three or more wrappers, and placing one leaf upon the other, mentally recording the total number of wrappers until the amount reaches fifty, (this being the u .ial number of wrappers preferred by manufacturers of cigars), when they are tied into a bundle or padded, constituting what is known as a pad of wrappers. The sum total of these pads, representing a days work, are removed, counted and entered in a book by the foreman in chaige of this branch of the work, which constitutes the only record of said number of wrapper pads representing the days work of the operator.

Necessarily, in the examination referred to, the operators attention is divided between the examination of the leaves, determining how many wrappers are contained in each leaf of tobacco, and keeping a mental. count of the sum total constituting a pad. (usually fifty wrappers). Furthermore, there is no check against the operator upon the days work, no safeguards having been provided other than observation by the eye, that the sum total of the pads of wrappers counted and removed by the foreman actually represents the days work.

The object of this invention is to safeguard and provide simple, suitable and accurate means whereby the operator inspecting the tobacco leaves from which cigar wrappers are to be cut, is relieved from the mental effort and tediuin of keeping rec- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Serial No. 730,319.

old of the number of wrappers so counted. It prevents errors and facilitates the work of the operator in placing the leaves in a pile and padding same, and also automatically warns him when the pad is complete and ready to be tied. It tells at glance just how many pads the operator has completed at any time. It enables the operator to devote his entire attention to determining the number of wrappers contained in each leaf of tobacco. and as he places. each leaf upon the saddle or table, or metal cushion plates he counts the number of wrappers either by gently depressing the cushion hinged metal plates or by depressing a hand lever by operating a treadle by his foot. Any of these movements actuates a register and mechanically counts the number of depressions, and signals the operator the pad has been completed. Each of these various means of operation also act independently of eachother.

This invention eliminates the numerous sources of error caused by lapse of memory on the part of the operator, especially when leaving his work in the midst of counting a pad, recommencing said count upon his return. t increases th eliiciency of the operator and enables the foreman to check up the number of pads of wrappers removed by him with the number indicated by the register.

In the drawin s Figure 1 represents a perspective of an inspectors saddle, provided with one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the upper portion thereof with the foot treadle removed. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a modified form of the device when a hinged platform is used for the actuation of the counting mechanism. Fig. 4 is a side elevation and partial longitudinal vertical section of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a front elevation and partial vertical section on the plane of the line 55 in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of a portion of the counting mechanism. Fig. 7 is a side elevation and partial vertical section of the same on the plane of the line 77 in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the parts beneath the plane of the line 88 in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a side elevation and partial longitudinal vertical section of a modified form of the device. Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a rear elevation of the same on a slightly larger scale. Fig. 12 is a detail of a portion of the counting mechanism, and Fig. 13 is a top plan view and partial section of the parts beneath the plane of the line 1313 in Fig. 11.

In the drawings, 20 is a platform suitably supported from the floor by means of cleats 21, 21. Above this is arranged an A-frame 22 terminating at its top in a saddle 23 preferably semi-cylindrical in form. Secured to the saddle by any suitable means, and at the rear end thereof, is a casing 2% adapted to contain the counting mechanism and its actuating parts.

Projecting outwardly from the casing 2% is a shaft 25, by the oscillation of which the counting mechanism is actuated. Immediately in front of the casing the shaft 25 is surrounded by a sleeve 26, which serves as a bearing for it and to keep it in proper alinement. In Figs. 1 and 2 there is shown a substantially flat plate 27 which is detachably secured to the shaft 25, and which serves to move it. It is obvious that by the hand manipulation of this plate the shaft 25 can be oscillated to actuate'the counting mechanism. In Fig. 1 there is shown a pedal 28 secured to the platform 20 by any suitable means, and secured also to the plate 27 by means of an extensible connecting rod 29 made of two parts slidably adjustable with respect to each other and secured together when desired by a strap 290 held in place by a thumb-screw 291. By the means described it is obvious that the shaft 25 may be actuated either by hand or by foot as may be most convenient.

In Figs. 3, 4i and 5 there is illustrated means of utilizing the operation of piling the tobacco leaves in the actuation of the counter. In these figures, 30 is a cushion plate hinged by means of a pintle 31 to a second curved plate Rigidly secured to the plate 32 is a half-round rod 33terminating at each end in a cylindrical portion and supported in bearings 34: and 35, the latter having the form of a sleeve. A pin 36 passes through the rod 33 and the sleeve, and in front of the bearing there is provided a coiled spring 37 which serves to retract the parts to position after oscillation. The sleeve bearing 35 is removably secured to the shaft 25 by means of a set-screw 38. A collar 39 secured to the shaft 25 by a pin serves to position the shaft with respect to the remainder of the counter mechanism and prevents its accidental displacement.

It is obvious that by the depression of the cushion plate 32 the shaft 25 will be actuated to move the counting mechanism in precisely the same manner as by the depression of the hand plate 27 directly or through the pedal 28.

I 40 is a protecting cover of suitable waterproof material'whioh is secured to the platform22 at any desired place and which can be thrown over the top of the saddle 23 as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 1.

At one end, the shaft 25 projects within the casing 2i and at its extremity there is secured a pawl plate 4:1, at the upper edge of which is pivoted a pawl 42 provided with a tension spring 43. A retracting spring A secured to the edge of the pawl plate ell and to a fixed part of the casing a5 serves to retract the shaft 25 to its initial position after actuation.

Mounted at a convenient point within the casing 2i, and in suitable bearings formed in the framework thereof, is a shaft 50 on which is rigidly mounted a ratchet disk 51 adapted to be turned in the direction of the hands of a clock, (as shown in Fig. 6), and at another place on this same shaft there is rigidly mounted a snail cam 52. A spring pressed pawl detent 53 serves to prevent the over rotation of the ratchet disk when it is intermittently revolved.

A bracket 5f, secured to the frame of the casing by any suitable means, is adapted to support a sub-frame 55, which contains a series of numeral wheels, a carrying mechanism and other related parts which go to make up a cyclometer, all of which are in usual form and needs no special description. Projecting from this sub-frame 55 is an actuating shaft 56 mounted on one end of which is a bell-clapper comprising a rigid member 57 secured to the shaft 56, a clapper member 58 united to the rigid member 57 by a leaf-spring 59 and a coiled retracting spring 60. Projecting from the rigid piece 57 is a lug 61, which is adapted to cotiperate with the snail cam 52.

The front of the casing 24 toward the sa d dle is provided with a dial 7O suitably graduated, and at the extremity of the shaft 50 is mounted a hand adapted to revolve across the face of the dial so that as the shaft 50 is revolved the hand moves with it and indicates the position of the shaft, and consequently serves as an enumeration of the extentof rotation of the shaft and of the ratchet disk 51.

Assuming that the shaft 25 is oscillated in any of the different ways above referred to, such oscillation moves the pawl plate 41 and presses the tip of the pawl 42 against the ratchet disk 51 and for each such oscillation moves theratchet disk 51 one tooth, over-rotation and backward-rotation being prevented by means of the detent pawl 53.

The snail cam 52 is so placed on the shaft 50 that when the shaft 25 has been oscillated forty-nine times the tip of the cam is in the position shown in Fig. 6 and it is in contact with the lug 61 on the bell-clapper member 57. At the neXt actuation of the shaft 25,

and contequently at the next movement of the ratchet disk'51, the tip of the cam'is moved away from the lug 61 and the bellclapper is caused to move under the influence of the spring 60 to strike a bell 7 5, which is placed in proper relation thereto. lhis notifies the operator that he has moved the shaft 25 fifty times and consequently has counted fifty wrappers. The movement of the bell-clapper has likewise actuated the shaft 56 of the cvcloineter and moved it one stroke so that an inspection of the numeral wheels of the cyclometer will determine how many bundles or pads of fifty wrappers each have been counted by the operator down to the time of such inspection. The continued actuation of the shaft 50 will of course gradually bring the snail cam around to the same position.

Means are provided to prevent any overrotation of the shaft 25, the pawl 12 and ratchet disk 51. To that end a recess indicated at T6 is formed in the pawl plate 11. This cooperates with the pin 4-5 previously referred to to limit the extent of the oscillation of this pawl plate, so that if in the operation of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the impulse g'lVQIl to the shaft 25 through the pedal 28 or hand-plate 27 should be too great it would not cause an over-rotation and consequently an error in counting of the wrappers inspected.

In Figs. 9 to 13 there is described a modified form of the device in which there are two cushioned plates, upon which the inspected leaves may be laid and upon each of which there is a pile of such leaves, each leaf in one pile being capable of producing a diiferent number of wrappers from each leaf in the second pile. The curved plates are so arranged that the depression of each produces an actuation of two separate counting mechanisms, one connected with each plate and the result of such separate count is shown on separate dial plates on the face of the counter dial. The totalizing or cyclometer mechanism, however, is connected with both of the counters and shows the total number of wrappers capable of being produced from the leaves of both piles. Referring to these particular figures of the drawing, 230 is the top of the saddle of the de vice at the end of which there is mounted a casing 240, displaying on its front surface two dials 700 and 701 respectively, the first one of which is graduated with 50 spaces to designate the number of leaves of tobacco each capable of producing a single wrapper and the second one of which is graduated in terms of twenty-five to designate the total number of leaves, each capable of producing two wrappers, so that when the hand of the second dial reaches 25 it indicates that the same number of wrappers may be produced from the leaves in its particular pile as can be produced from the leaves in the other pile when its dial indicates 50. At one end of the saddle there is a bearing 340 and at the other end a sleeve bearing 260. Mounted in hese bearings is a shaft 250 which is expanded at its inner end where it is connected to the counting mechanism. Surrounding this shaft at its inner end is a second hollow shaft 251 which is also connected with the counting mechanism. Secured to the shaft 250 is a. pair of hinged cushion plates 300 arranged in steps similar to the cushion plates described in the devices shown in Figs. 8, -1- and 5, and secured to the hollow shaft 251 is a pair of cushion plates 301 also similar to the cushion plates heretofore described. The purpose of this construction is that when the cushion plate 300 is depressed it will actuate the shaft 250 and when the cushion plate 301 is depressed 't will actuate the shaft 251. At one end of the shaft 250 there is secured a pawl plate 410 which serves to actuate a pawl 420 which in turn moves a toothed disk 510 which is rigidly secured to a shaft 500, on which is mounted a snail earn 520, which snail cam moves against a lug 610 forming part of a rigid member 570 of a bell-clapper, as in the construction previously described. The end of the shaft 500 is provided with a pointer 'YlO which is adapted to move over the dial 700 so that fifty actuations of the plate 300 and of the shaft 250 will move the hand on the dial 700 fifty points. In a similar manner the actuation of the plate 301 will move the hollow shaft 251 to actuate a ratchet plate 411 to more a pawl 121 against a ratchet disk 511 mounted on a shaft 501 upon which is mounted a snail cam 521, which coiiperates with a lug 611 on a rigid portion 571 of a bell-clapper to move it in the manner previously described.

It will be observed (see Fig. 11) that the rigid portions 570 and 571 of these two bellclappers are both loosely mounted upon a shaft 560 of the cyclometer device. Each of these rigid parts 570 and 571 are provided with pawls indicated respectively at 57 2 and 573 which coiiperate with ratchet disks 574; and 575 rigidly mounted on the cyclometer shaft and which shaft is thereby rotated, the disks being so serrated that the cyclonieter shaft is moved to indicate one unit on the cyclometer for each complete revolution of either one of the ratchet disks 510 and 511, so that its wheels at all times register the total of the tobacco wrappers which have been selected and piled on both the counting plates 300 and 301.

It will be observed that in the construction last described in Figs. 9 to 18, the mechanism is so arranged that each ratchet disk and each cam actuated therefrom is independently moved so that on each dial there is indicated the number of possible wrappers accumulated in each pile, but the fact that a pile has been completed is not registered on the accumulating mechanism until the cam connected to that particular mechanism has actuated the units wheel, so that by this device a pile can be partially co1npleted and the number indicated on the dial and remain so indicated while any number of other piles can be counted and indicated on the other dial and the count carried forward to the totalizing mechanism.

What I claim is:

1. A tobacco wrapper counter comprising a counting mechanism, an actuating shaft therefor, a saddle, a two piece curved counting plate arranged'above the saddle and a coupling between the shaft and the counting plate, whereby when one piece of the plate is depressed the actuating shaft is oscillated.

2. In combination, a saddle, a curved plate conforming in outline to a portion of the saddle, a second curved plate also conforming in outline to a portion of the saddle, a hinged connection between the two plates, a shaft secured to the second plate, a counting mechanism and a coupling between it and said shaft.

3. In combination, a saddle, a curved plate conforming in outline to a portion of the saddle, a second curved plate also conforming in outline to a portion of the sad dle, a hinged connection between the two plates, a shaft secured to the second plate, a counting mechanism, a shaft therefor and a coupling between the same and the plate shaft.

l. In combination, a saddle, a curved plate conforming in outline to a portion of the saddle, a second curved plate also conforming in outline to a portion of the saddle, a hinged connection between the two plates, a shaft secured to the second plate,

a counting mechanism including a shaft therefor and a coupling between the same and the plate shaft including a sleeve adapt ed to fit over both shafts.

5. In combination, a saddle, a curved plate conforming in outline to a portion of the saddle, a second curved plate also conforming in outline to a portion of the saddle, a hinged connection between the two plates, a shaft secured to the second plate, a counting mechanism, a shaft therefor and a coupling between the same and the plate shaft including a sleeve adapted to fit over both shafts and means for securing the same to both shafts.

6. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a support, of a register associated therewith and including an operating rock shaft, a wrapper supporting member comprising plates, one of which is secured at its margin directly to the rock shaft, the other plate being hinged to the said secured margin of the first-mentioned plate.

7. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a support, of a regis ter associated therewith and including an operating roclr shaft, and a tobacco wrapper supporting member comprising hingedly connected plates, the hinge axis of WlllOh is in substantial alinement with the rock shaft, one of said plates being depressible and being secured to the rock shaft to directly turn the same, said latter plate constituting actuating means for the register.

In testimonvwhereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID STRASSER.

W'itnesses:

CLARENCE G. CAMPBELL, A. C. IVICDONNELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

